Injury to the Preterm Brain and Cerebral Palsy: Clinical Aspects, Molecular Mechanisms, Unanswered Questions, and Future Research Directions

Michael A. Babcock, Felina V. Kostova, Donna M. Ferriero, Michael V. Johnston, Jan E. Brunstrom, Henrik Hagberg, Bernard L. Maria

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cerebral palsy will affect nearly 10% of the 60 000 very low-birth-weight infants born in the United States in the next year, and an even greater percentage will display some form of permanent neurological impairment resulting from injury to the preterm brain. The 2008 Neurobiology of Disease in Children Symposium, held in conjunction with the 37th annual meeting of the Child Neurology Society, aimed to define current knowledge and to develop specific aims for future clinical, translational, and fundamental science. A complex interplay of both destructive and developmental forces is responsible for injury to the preterm brain. Advances in imaging and histology have implicated a variety of cell types, though preoligodendrocyte injury remains the focus. Research into different mechanisms of injury is facilitating new neuroprotective and rehabilitative interventions. A cooperative effort is necessary to translate basic research findings into clinically effective therapies and better care for these children.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1064-1084
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of child neurology
Volume24
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • cerebral palsy
  • molecular mechanisms
  • translational research

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Clinical Neurology

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